Astrantia plant named ‘Florence’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Astrantia  plant named ‘Florence’, characterized by its upright plant habit; green-colored stems and leaves; freely and continuous flowering habit; and inflorescences with showy involucral bracts that are dark pink in color.

Botanical designation: Astrantia major.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Florence’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astrantia, botanically known as Astrantia major and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Florence’.

The new Astrantia originated from an open-pollination in 2001 of an unnamed selection of Astrantia major, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Astrantia major, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Astrantia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Rijpwetering Wetering, The Netherlands in 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by divisions in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands, since 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Astrantia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Florence have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Florence’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Florence’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Astrantia:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Green-colored stems and leaves.     -   3. Freely and continuous flowering habit.     -   4. Inflorescences with showy involucral bracts that are dark         pink in color.

Plants of the new Astrantia differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in plant size and flower color.

Plants of the new Astrantia can be compared to plants of the Astrantia cultivar Snow Star, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,697. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astrantia differed from plants of the cultivar Snow Star primarily in flower color as plants of the cultivar Snow Star had white-colored involucral bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Astrantia.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of typical plants of ‘Florence’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Florence’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical leaf of ‘Florence’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the late spring/early summer in an outdoor nursery in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands for about two years. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 14° C.

-   Botanical classification: Astrantia major cultivar Florence. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Astrantia major, not             patented.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Astrantia major, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By divisions.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; coppery brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Upright perennial flowering plant with basal rosette             of leaves; numerous erect peduncles support umbels of             flowers held well above the foliage. Moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 88 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 56 cm.         -   Branch description.—Arrangement: Branching mostly basal;             freely branching, about 19 basal branches develop per plant.             Length: About 69 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length:             About 21.3 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length, basal leaves.—About 16.5 cm.         -   Length, stem leaves.—About 11.6 cm.         -   Width, basal leaves.—About 18.5 cm.         -   Width, stem leaves.—About 12.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Palmately-lobed.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Hastate.         -   Margin.—Doubly serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 143A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 143A to 143B. Fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: 137B; venation, 143A to 137B. Fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: 146B; venation, 143B.         -   Petiole length, basal leaves.—About 33.1 cm.         -   Petiole length, stem leaves.—About 5.1 cm.         -   Petiole diameter, basal leaves.—About 4.25 mm.         -   Petiole diameter, stem leaves.—About 6.5 mm.         -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—144A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence/flower arrangement and appearance.—Numerous,             single, minute campanulate flowers subtended by showy             involucral bracts; flowers arranged in compound umbels.             Flowers face mostly upright to somewhat outwardly. Very             freely flowering; during the flowering season, typically             about 80 flowers per umbel and about eight umbels per             flowering stem develop.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering from late             spring to early summer in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About twelve days; flowers             not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Shape: Oblate. Color: 138A; towards the apex, 75C to 75D.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.9 cm.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 2 mm. Depth (height): About 9 mm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl. Length: About             2.5 mm. Width: About 0.6 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Narrowly             acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: 186C to 186D. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: 186C to 186D.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl. Length: About             2 mm. Width: About 0.6 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Broadly             acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper             and lower surfaces: 137C. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: 137C.         -   Involucral bracts.—Arrangement: About 20 in a single whorl.             Length: About 2.4 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Elliptic to             narrowly obovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire to slightly serrate. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and             lower surfaces: 75C, towards the base, close to 75D; towards             the apex, 137A to 137B. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: 65C to 65D; towards the apex, 137A; venation,             143A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 15.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 0.3 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 186D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.             Filament length: About 3.5 mm. Filament color: Lighter than             186D. Anther shape: Elliptical. Anther length: About 1 mm.             Anther color: N167A to N167B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: 161C to 161D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: Two.             Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma             color: 186C. Style length: About 2.8 mm. Style color: 186C.             Ovary color: 143A; ribs, 142D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Astrantia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astrantia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Astrantia have exhibited good     tolerance to rain, wind, high temperatures of 30° C. and are hardy     to USDA Zone 6. 

1. A new and distinct Astrantia plant named ‘Florence’ as illustrated and described. 